


Five Times Clint Witnessed His Little Sister Being an Adult and One Time He Didn’t But Found Out About Anyway

by amirellani



Series: crooked love in a straight line down [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Abigail Barton, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Clint Barton's sister, Developing Relationship, Dom/sub Undertones, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, F/M, First Meetings, Flirting, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Protective Clint Barton, Secret Relationship, Sibling Bonding, Steve is glad to have his Bucky back, Training, Veteran's Day, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, caught in a compromising position, like barely there and i mean barely barely there, really really minor undertones, squint or you'll miss it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-08
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-05 14:27:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5378516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amirellani/pseuds/amirellani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint introduces his younger sister, Abigail, to the rest of his Avengers teammates. He soon comes to regret it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is pretty much what it says in the title. Additional tags to be added with each chapter.  
> Abby and Bucky's relationship was partially inspired by my best friend and her newfound flair for Imagines, which resulted in almost 6000 words of smut. Then I decided I should go back and write how their relationship actually began and developed.  
> And Big Brother Clint Barton is really fun to write :D

**1.**

“Abby! It’s so good to see you!”

Stepping into the room after Clint, Abby squeaked as a body ran into her and wrapped arms around her. She returned Natasha’s hug, but not nearly with the same amount of strength behind it. The older woman was three inches shorter than her, but Abby still felt like Natasha could crush her with a paperclip.

“It’s good to see you too, Nat,” Abby gasped, when the woman finally let her go.

She smiled at Natasha, and turned to look at her brother. Clint wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and led her into what appeared to be a living room. A bunch of people were sitting around, all looking at her curiously. Recognising the Avengers, Abby felt her nerves resurfacing. She swallowed, grey eyes shifting around the room as she fiddled with a strand of ash blonde hair.

“I’d like you all to meet my sister, Abigail,” said Clint proudly. Abby blushed. “Abby, that’s Tony, Steve, and Bruce. Thor is in London with Jane right now, and – where’s Barnes?”

Each person waved as Clint introduced them. Abby waved back shyly, and shoved her hands in her pockets. She knew the kind of work Clint did, as a SHIELD Agent and as an Avenger, and she knew with whom he did that work. But knowing your brother worked with the Avengers and meeting them were two completely different kettles of fish.

“Bucky’s finishing up on the range,” said Steve. Standing up, he held out a hand to Abby. She shook it and stared up at Captain America in awe. “Nice to meet you, Abigail.”

“Just Abby, please,” she said, breaking out of her awe and realising he was speaking to her. Clint snorted, and Abby elbowed him.

“Abby, then.” Steve smiled. “What brings you to New York?”

“New job,” replied Abby. “I start in September, so I thought I’d settle myself in a little early.”

“What do you do?”

She looked around Steve’s – considerable – width and smiled at Bruce. “I’m an elementary school teacher.”

“So you don’t shoot as well as Clint?” joked Tony.

“No one shoots as well as Clint,” Abby replied instantly. She rolled her eyes at her brother, who puffed up his chest and preened. “But I’m pretty good at tossing a paper ball into the wastebasket from anywhere in the room when the kids try passing notes.”

It looked like Tony was about to say something else, when another person strode into the room. He looked around at the strange configuration – Clint and Steve standing around Abby, everyone else sitting down – and his eyebrows rose in a quizzical expression.

It was obvious he’d come from working out. The shirt he was wearing, soaked with sweat, clung to the contours of his body. One sleeve was missing, revealing a metal prosthetic arm. His dark brown hair, also damp with sweat, hung just below his ears. It framed his face and made his ice blue eyes stand out. With a jaw line that could cut through glass, he took her breath away in the best way possible.

Focusing on his face, Abby felt her cheeks heat up. She wasn’t the only one checking the other out. His eyes trailed up and down her body before looking her directly in the eye.

“Who’s this?”

Even his voice was attractive.

“My sister,” said Clint. “Abigail.”

“Abby,” she supplied, rolling her eyes at her brother’s insistence on calling her Abigail. She held out her hand. He took the offered handshake, and Abby bit her lip. His hand was large, warm and calloused, fully surrounding hers. There was strength behind it, but he wasn’t putting it on show.

“Sergeant James Barnes,” he replied, grinning and arching an eyebrow. “But you can call me Bucky.”

Behind them, someone snorted.

“Nice to meet you, Bucky,” said Abby.

“Pleasure’s all mine.”

Abby’s lips curled in a smile. Then, hearing her brother clear his throat, Abby glanced over at him. She watched as his eyes darted suspiciously between her, Bucky, and their joined hands. She withdrew her hand from Bucky’s slowly,

“So you’re an Avenger, too?” Abby asked. “Clint’s talked about everyone else, but he hasn’t mentioned you.”

“Not exactly,” drawled Bucky. “I guess I am now. It’s a recent thing.”

Abby nodded, her eyes sliding over his left arm. It was incredible how well the metal plates mimicked the muscle tone of his other arm. She looked up at Bucky again and, upon seeing his knowing, cocky grin, felt a blush start to spread across her face.

“Where has Hawkguy been hiding you?” he asked, his voice huskier than it had been just moments ago.

“Iowa,” replied Abby, ignoring Clint as he muttered, “ _Hawkeye, not Hawkguy, you dick._ ”

“Bet you were the prettiest dame in Iowa, then,” said Bucky, a roguish grin on his face.

“You’ve seen all the women in Iowa?” asked Abby skeptically. “Have you even been to Iowa? There isn’t much competition.”

“I don’t need to go to Iowa to know you’re gorgeous, doll.”

Her cheeks heated up even more. Abby ducked her head to hide a flattered smile, and when she looked back up – well, the only way she could think to describe Bucky’s expression was that he was smoldering at her.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she murmured shyly. “Would you like – what the hell are you doing, Clint?”

 Her brother had stepped between, jabbing a finger into Bucky’s chest. Bucky stepped back in surprise.

“No,” said Clint firmly. “No, no, no. No flirting with my baby sister.”

Abby rubbed a hand over her face at Clint’s words, as someone behind them – it sounded like Steve, and maybe Tony as well – burst out laughing. Bucky’s eyebrows shot up, and then he smirked. He winked at Abby over Clint’s shoulder before walking over to Steve.

“Clint – hey! Let go!”

Clint grabbed her arm and pulled her after him, through a kitchen and down a hall until they reached an empty room. Clint tugged her inside and shut the door behind them.

“No,” he repeated, shaking his head.

“What do you mean, no?” asked Abby, folding her arms in exasperation.

“You are not allowed to date him.”

“What?” she said incredulously. “You’re kidding. I’m old enough to make my own decisions, Clint!”

“He’s dangerous, Abby. He was brainwashed into a HYDRA assassin. He could be triggered by something and hurt you.”

“Clint –!”

“Promise me you won’t pursue anything with him,” he interrupted. “Promise me, Abigail.”

Abby glowered at Clint, and nodded reluctantly.

“Fine. I hope you know you’re a complete dick.”

“I don’t care if I’m a dick as long as you’re safe,” retorted Clint.

Abby rolled her eyes, but she hugged Clint anyway. She knew her brother was only looking out for her, and that he only wanted the best for her. Besides, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

 

* * *

 

Returning to her apartment, Abby flopped backwards onto her bed. Reaching for her pillow, she held it over her face to muffle a squeal. She really liked Bucky, and from the little they’d been able to say to each other before Clint had stuck his foot in, he appeared to like her as well. Sitting up, she clutching the pillow to her chest and unlocked her cell phone. She tapped on a contact and held the phone to her ear.

“ _Hello, Miss Barton,_ ” echoed JARVIS’s cool, electronic voice. “ _Would you like me to connect you to your brother?_ ”

“No,” said Abby at once. “Actually, could you put me through to Sergeant Barnes – Bucky?”

“ _Of course. Connecting now._ ”

The phone rang again, for all of three seconds.

“ _Hello?_ ”

“Hi, Bucky? This is Abby – Abigail Barton,” Abby said, fiddling with the end of her ponytail. “We met earlier today?”

“ _Yeah, I remember you, doll,_ ” he drawled.

Abby blushed. “That’s – of course you do. Um. Hi.”

“ _Hi_ ,” he replied, chuckling.

“So, um,” she began. “I was wondering if – would you like to get coffee with me, sometime?”

There was silence on the other end of the line, and Abby started to worry that she’d read him wrong. Then Bucky spoke.

“ _Do I make you nervous, doll?_ ”

Abby exhaled. She could play this game too.

“Only in the best way.”

She heard his sharp intake of breath, and grinned.

“So,” said Abby brightly. “Coffee?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint wants to know how Abby's first week at her new job went. Abby is a little distracted when he calls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just watched Ant-Man again and the post-credits scene has me feeling things. Ungh. So here is a new chapter. Hope you enjoy it! :)

**2.**

Finishing up on the range, Clint dismantled his bow slowly and wiped it down. Packing it into the case, he shouldered it and headed to the elevator. He stepped out into the common floor after dropping his bow off in his own apartment, and flopped onto the sofa next to Natasha.

“Good session?” she asked, nudging him with her foot. Clint hummed happily and nodded. “That’s good. Have you talked to Abby recently?”

“No. I was going to call her tonight.”

“Good. I want to know how her first week went, too.”

Clint hummed again, almost as an afterthought, as he stretched his arms above his head. Both he and Natasha glanced up when they heard heavy footsteps pass through the living area. Bucky was heading for the elevator, smartly dressed and with his hair pulled back in a tiny bun. Catching sight of Natasha and Clint, Bucky nodded at them as the elevator doors slid shut. The pair on the sofa were silent for a moment, until –

“Where do you think he’s going?”

“I don’t know,” replied Natasha. “Maybe he has a date.”

Clint snorted, leaning back again and closing his eyes. “Please. Doubt it. Having a date requires meeting someone and he barely leaves the Tower.”

“Mhmm,” murmured Natasha. With his eyes closed, Clint didn’t see the tiny, knowing smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. Apparently, Clint hadn't seen Bucky leaving the Tower sporadically over the last month.

 

* * *

 

“You know, I enjoyed that a lot more than I expected to,” commented Abby, coming to a stop outside her apartment door. She dug through her handbag and extracted her keys, grinning at Bucky as she turned the key in the lock.

“It’s good to know I can still romance a dame with dancing,” he replied, with a crooked grin. Abby blushed, and ducked her head.

“Do you – would you like to come in?” she asked, pushing open her door. “For – I could make coffee.”

“Sure,” Bucky murmured, stepping inside. Abby followed, shutting and locking the door behind her. As soon as she turned around, Bucky’s hand closed loosely around her arm and he pulled her down onto the sofa.

“Hi there,” said Abby demurely. “I’m going to take a stab in the dark here. You don’t want coffee.”

“Good guess, doll,” purred Bucky.

Sprawling back on her sofa, Abby slid her hands around Bucky’s neck. His hair fell out of the bun when she pulled on the band holding it in place. Threading her fingers through it, she tugged him down towards her. Bucky’s hands slid to her waist as he closed the distance between them, eyes glinting. Without really meaning to, Abby sighed when their lips met.

Bucky’s lips were soft and warm, tasting like the raspberry cheesecake he’d ordered for dessert, and something else that was uniquely Bucky. His hands dug into her waist gently. Abby wrapped her arms more tightly around the back of his neck, pulling on his hair.

He seemed to like that, tugging her hips against his. Abby whimpered against his mouth when she felt his tongue tracing along the seam of her lips. She opened her mouth, letting her tongue dart out to join Bucky’s, and she felt a small sense of accomplishment at hearing him groan.

Then her cell phone rang. She pushed Bucky back, reluctantly and just enough for her to search through her handbag for her phone. She pursed her lips in annoyance when she saw the Caller ID.

“Hi Clint,” she said, running a hand through her hair and huffing quietly. “No, no, I’m fine. I just couldn’t find my phone.”

Bucky smirked above her. He leaned down, nuzzling at her neck, and Abby swatted him away.

“Yeah, it was great,” she said. Bucky returned to nuzzling her neck, and moved across her collarbone as well.

“No, the kids are great. So much better than the brats I taught in Waverley. No, of course I don’t mean Cooper and Lila, don’t be a dick.”

Abby bit back a moan as Bucky started pressing kisses along the exposed skin of her neck and shoulders.

“Stop it,” she hissed, covering the phone speaker. “No, Clint, I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to – my coffee maker. It’s doing something weird. No, I’m not the weird one, heaps of people talk to inanimate objects! Hey, I’ve caught you singing lullabies to your bow, for God’s sake.”

 

* * *

 

Abby sounded odd over the phone and Clint frowned suspiciously. He couldn’t hear the coffee maker in her apartment, and he knew that it was incredibly noisy when it was running.

“That was one time.”

“ _Three. Three times, Clint, and it was a different – a different lullaby each time._ ”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to call back later?” he asked.

“ _No, no, honestly Clint. I’m just a little distracted_.”

Abby let out a breathy noise that sounded like a moan, and Clint’s eyebrows shot up.

“Is someone with you?” he inquired. “Abigail, what are you doing?”

His sister sighed. “ _Well…_ ”

“Nope,” Clint said at once, before she could say anything else. “Hell no, I don’t want to know. I’ll call again tomorrow. Bye, Abby.”

She giggled. “ _Okay. Bye, Clint_.”

He hung up quickly, exhaling slowly and setting the phone down on the coffee table. Burying his head in his hands, he groaned. He did not want to think about someone getting handsy with his little sister.

 

* * *

 

Abby was still giggling when she tossed her cell phone aside. She looked up at Bucky. He lifted his head up from where he’d just sucked a hickey on her neck, meeting her eyes. Smirking, he sat up higher on the sofa.

“Took you long enough,” he rumbled.

Any answer Abby planned on giving was swallowed up by Bucky, covering her lips with his urgently. She moaned, and went pliant beneath him as his mouth moved against hers. Pulling back and gasping for air, Abby nodded.

“You’re right,” she said breathlessly. “That call took way too long.”

Bucky chuckled, before cupping the back of Abby’s head and tugging her lips back to his.

 

* * *

 

Walking past the common floor living room, Steve did a double take. He stepped back and poked his head through the door. Clint was sitting on the sofa, head in his hands.

“Clint?”

He looked up, and faced the direction Steve’s voice had come from.

“Oh. Hey, man.”

“Is everything okay?” Steve asked, walking over to him.

“Yeah,” laughed Clint. “Yeah, everything’s – no. No. Things are not okay. My sister was with someone, Steve.” When Steve didn’t react, Clint continued, waving his hands in the air. “She was _with someone_. Like, a _male_ someone. She _moaned_ while she was talking to me. She’s not old enough to date!”

“Clint,” began Steve. “How old is your sister?”

Clint blinked. “Twenty-five, why?”

Clapping Clint on the shoulder, Steve shot him a grin.

“Twenty-five. Yeah, okay. Good luck with that one.”

Watching Steve leave, Clint slumped back onto the sofa with another loud, long-suffering groan.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Abby doesn't answer her phone, Clint takes advantage of her spare key.
> 
> Maybe he shouldn't have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 :)  
> You can thank CA:TWS for this one. I swear, every time I watch it, it affects me more. Damn you, Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan.  
> Hope you like!

**3.**

“ _Hey, you’ve reached Abby Barton! I’m sorry I missed your call, leave a message and I’ll call you back!_ ”

Beep!

“Hey, kiddo, I thought I’d see if you wanted to get dinner tonight. Call me back, okay? Love you, bye.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hey, you’ve reached Abby Barton! I’m sorry I missed your call, leave a message and I’ll call you back!”_

Beep!

“Abbbbbbby, dinner? Call me back!”

 

* * *

 

_“Hey, you’ve reached Abby Barton! I’m sorry I missed your call, leave a message and I’ll call you back!”_

Beep!

“What are you doing, Abigail? Call me, please?”

 

* * *

 

_“Hey, you’ve reached Abby Barton! I’m sorry I missed your call, leave a message and I’ll call you back!”_

Beep!

“Abigail Faith Barton, answer your damn phone!” Clint paused. “Please.”

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure you shouldn’t answer that?” asked Bucky, as Abby’s cell phone vibrated in her handbag for the third time since he’d picked her up, the second time since they’d arrived at the restaurant.

Abby shook her head. She pulled her phone out of her bag, turned it off and returned it.

“It’s just Clint,” she remarked. “I’ll call him back tomorrow.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hey, you’ve reached Abby Barton! I’m sorry I missed your call, leave a message and I’ll call you back!”_

Beep!

“That’s it, I’m coming over.”

 

* * *

 

His sister’s apartment was dark when Clint arrived. He let himself in with the key she’d given him – “for emergencies _only_ , Clint” – and walked through the apartment. Abby wasn’t in her bed; she wasn’t anywhere, so Clint took a seat on the sofa.

He wasn’t sure how long he was waiting, in the darkness of her living room, before he heard the rattle of a key in a lock, and the opening of a door. Clint could hear stumbling footsteps and heavy breathing approaching. Abby was back, but she definitely wasn’t alone.

Clint could hear her giggling.

“Careful!” she whispered. And then, “What are you –?”

There was a thud, of something hitting the wall, and Abby squealed, only for the sound to cut off abruptly. Clint winced at the noises coming from the hallway; the sounds he associated with making out were far less steamy when he knew his little sister was involved in producing them. Abby let out a breathy moan, and then another, followed by a grunt that was distinctly masculine.

Clearing his throat, Clint flicked on the lamp. At the edge of the living room, just off the hallway, Abby and her companion froze. Abby was pressed up against the wall, her legs wrapped around the man’s waist. Her dress was hiked up. The man’s hands gripped her thighs. She hid her face in the man’s shirt, whispering something to him, and he put her down slowly.

Abby adjusted her dress before she met Clint’s eyes, blushing furiously. Her companion, turning around to face Clint, was a different matter entirely. Bucky didn’t seem at all ashamed at being caught.

“Barnes,” said Clint flatly.

“Barton,” Bucky responded coolly.

“You should leave.” Nothing in Clint’s voice made it sound like a suggestion. When Bucky hesitated, Clint glared at him. “Now.”

Bucky frowned. “No. Abby invited me in.”

Bristling, Clint took a step towards the other man. Bucky’s eyebrows shot up, and he took on a defensive position. As Clint approached, Abby stepped between them. Both men looked at her. Abby rested a hand on Bucky’s arm, and pushed him gently towards the door.

“It’s okay,” she murmured. “I’ll handle this.”

Glancing back at Clint, and then down at Abby, Bucky nodded. Abby stretched up on tiptoe and kissed him softly, with a whispered promise to call him later. The door clicked shut behind him, and Abby rounded on her brother.

“What are you doing in my apartment, Clint?” she ground out, folding her arms across her chest.

“You didn’t answer your phone,” he answered bluntly. “I got worried. You always answer your phone.”

“Not when I’m on a date,” she groaned. “God, Clint.”

Clint’s eyes narrowed. “What the fuck are you doing, Abigail?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” retorted Abby. “I’m starting a relationship, no thanks to you!”

“With Barnes?”

“With _Bucky_ , yes!”

“You promised –”

“I lied!” she snapped. “Damn it, of course I lied about that.”

“I can’t believe you! I told you, Abigail! He’s not safe.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she hissed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’re being ridiculous! I’m twenty-five years old, and you’re not my father! You don’t get to have a say in who I date!”

“I know that!” growled Clint. “But Barnes is dangerous! You could trigger him, and he could seriously hurt you, Abby!”

“He told me,” she replied icily, glaring at her brother. “We’ve been dating for two months, Clint. He wanted me to know everything. He was brainwashed, forced to kill people. He had no choice. I wonder if there’s anyone else who possibly knows what that was like?”

Clint stepped back as though she’d slapped him, and his jaw clenched. “That was different.”

Abby scoffed.

“How is that different?” she seethed. “Loki used magic, and HYDRA used some fucked up science. You had flashbacks for weeks, but that didn’t stop any of us from spending time with you.”

“That’s – come on, Abby, that’s – it’s not the same thing,” said Clint, but even to him the words sounded weak.

“Bucky has been wonderful,” she said quietly. “He hasn’t hurt me. He did get triggered, two weeks ago, by a glass of milk, of all things, but he didn’t hurt me. He didn’t even try. He walked away and he stayed away until he was in control again.”

Clint’s shoulders slumped. “Abby…”

“I really like him,” she confessed. “Please, Clint, don’t ruin this for me.”

Clint was ashamed to see tears pooling in his sister’s eyes, and he rubbed his hand over his brow. He held out his arms. Abby stepped towards him and Clint pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her. She rested her cheek on his shoulder, and he kissed the top of her head.

“I’m sorry,” murmured Clint. “You’re right. I’m being ridiculous. You know I just want what’s best for you.”

Abby nodded. “I know. You’re annoying like that.”

“Well, excuse me for wanting my baby sister to be safe,” Clint griped. His arms tightened around her. Abby snorted quietly.

“I love you, Clint, but you need to let me look after myself sometimes,” she said solemnly, leaning back a little to look at him. Sighing, Clint nodded.

“I’ll try, kiddo. No promises.”

Humming in acknowledgement, Abby smiled cheekily.

“You should save up your overreactions for when Lila starts dating.”

“What?” yelped Clint. “No. Lila is not dating. No way.”

“Yup,” Abby muttered, as Clint started ranting. Leaning back into the hug, she rolled her eyes. “Just like that.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky offers to teach Abby some self-defense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4. Had some fun writing this one. :)

**4.**

“I’m still not sure this is a good idea,” hedged Abby, as Bucky wrapped strips of cloth around her knuckles. He glanced at her, grinning as he tucked the end of the cloth away.

“Trust me, doll, you’re going to want the wrapping.”

“That’s not what I mean,” she said petulantly.

Bucky laughed, and patted Abby’s cheek. “I know. Come on.”

Abby rose to her feet, joining Bucky at a punching bag. Bucky laughed when he saw the apprehension her face.

 “You were pretty keen when we talked about this last week.”

“I changed my mind,” said Abby loftily, eyeing the punching bag like she was expecting it to hit her, and not the other way around. “Female prerogative.”

Bucky just shook his head, a broad smile stretching across his face.

“That’s what you said about dancing. Remember how that turned out?”

Abby pouted.

“Oh, come on,” he cajoled, chortling. “It’s not going to be that bad.”

“You were right about dancing, but I still think this is a bad idea,” grumbled Abby, stepping closer to Bucky and the punching bag. He took hold of both her hands, and folded her fingers into a fist.

“Noted. First off,” he began. “Let’s see you throw a punch.”

Her fist hit the bag with a resounding smack. Bucky’s eyebrows shot up, and he nodded.

“I’m impressed,” he teased. “Good. I don’t have to teach you how.”

Abby rolled her eyes as Bucky pulled her out onto the padded gym floor. She moved as reluctantly as possible without physically dragging her feet.

“That’s a relief,” she muttered, eliciting a chuckle from her boyfriend.

“We’ll start with the basics,” began Bucky. “Okay, so if someone comes up to you on the street and tries to attack you, what would you do?”

“Tell them my boyfriend and my brother are both Avengers, and laugh when they run away screaming.”

He snorted.

“That might work if some idiot teenager tries to mug you, but if anyone attacks you, Abby, it’ll probably be because they already know that.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” said Bucky. “So will you take this seriously now?”

Abby’s mouth twitched, but she nodded.

“Good. So there are a couple of places you should aim for first,” said Bucky, slipping into instructor mode.

Abby kept nodding as he pointed out places on his body that were most vulnerable, where her punches would be most effective. He had her throw a few punches at him, annoyingly certain that she wouldn’t land one on him. Abby huffed when he proved himself right, blocking every punch.

“Cheer up, doll,” he said, brushing an invisible speck of dirt off his metal arm. “I’ll show you how to block a hit now.”

Bucky positioned her arms and, moving slowly, showed her how her stance would help her absorb and deflect an incoming blow. Abby blew her fringe out of her eyes and nodded.

“Cool. Can I try it properly now? Punch me.”

Taken aback, Bucky shook his head.

“No. These muscles aren’t just for show, Abby.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Pull your punch, then. I just want to try it with you moving faster. No one’s going to attack me in slow motion.”

“Okay,” he said reluctantly, a grim expression on his face.

He waited for Abby to set herself. He was so focused on pulling back the force behind his punch that he didn’t notice her stance shift. In fact, he didn’t notice anything had changed until he was twisting through the air. Bucky hit the floor hard and landed on his back, completely winded. Straddling him, Abby leaned over his face and grinned cheekily.

“What was it you were saying about these muscles?” asked Abby, resting her hands flat on Bucky’s stomach.

“You tricked me,” he wheezed.

His stomach heaved up and down underneath Abby’s hands as he struggled to catch his breath. She slid her hands up his chest, down his arms. Leaning even closer until their noses were almost touching, she slipped her hands into his and tangled her fingers with Bucky’s.

“I didn’t trick you,” she said innocently. “You just never asked if I’d already had any self-defense training.”

She kissed the tip of his nose.

“That was your first mistake. Your second mistake,” she murmured, angling to kiss the side of Bucky’s neck, just below his ear, “was forgetting who my brother is. You really think Hawkeye would leave his baby sister defenseless?”

“I suppose not,” replied Bucky, only sounding a little breathless.

Suddenly his body jerked. Their positions were reversed as Bucky rolled over, and he straddled Abby. Staring up at him with wide eyes, Abby’s breath hitched when he pinned her wrists to the ground above her head.

“Oh, so that’s a thing, is it?” he murmured.

The warmth of his breath washed over Abby. She nodded, and released a tiny whimper when he closed the millimeters between them and kissed her. It was a closed-mouth, tongue-free kiss, and more chaste than their usual kisses. It left Abby arching up off the ground, wanting more.

 

* * *

 

The repetitive motion – the weight of the draw, the thrum of the release, and the thud as his arrows reached their targets – soothed Clint as he tried to block out the sounds of his sister giggling with her new boyfriend on the other side of the gym. This was something he could lose himself in, did so on a regular basis, in fact, as he sent arrow after arrow down the range.

He heard a quiet smack. Without stopping his actions, Clint looked over to see that Abby had flipped Bucky to the floor. He snorted, pleased to see that she still remembered the techniques he’d taught her. Grimacing, he looked away and sent three arrows down the range at different targets when Abby leaned down to kiss Bucky. That was something he _didn’t_ want to see.  

Clint did his best to ignore the murmuring coming from the other side of the gym. When Abby whimpered he couldn’t stop himself from turning to look again, and instantly regretted it. Bucky was now on top of Abby, pinning her to the mat with his mouth plastered to hers. With a growl, Clint pulled five arrows from his quiver and shot them down the range. Four hit their intended targets. The fifth went a little off course.

 

* * *

 

Feeling one of Bucky’s hands slide up and down the curve of her waist, Abby moaned, smiling into the kiss. His metal hand was still pinning her wrists to the floor. She traced her tongue along Bucky’s closed lips, begging for him to open up and deepen the kiss.

A faint hissing, followed by a quiet thud, startled Abby and Bucky out of their make-out session. Both of them looked towards the source of the noise, at their feet, and Abby began to giggle. One of Clint’s arrows was embedded in the gym floor, right between Bucky’s legs. It was standing, vertical and quivering, just inches from his thighs. He rolled off Abby, who propped herself up on her elbows, and they both looked over at Clint. He was glaring at them.

“We’re in the gym. It’s a common area, guys. _Common_ area.” He pinned Bucky with his glare. “If you’re going to grope my sister, at least do it where I don’t have to watch.”

Startled, Bucky nodded. Abby flopped back onto the floor, covering her face with her hands as she burst into another round of giggles.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby and Bucky steal a moment alone during Tony's Veteran's Day dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not American and I've never experienced a Veteran's or Memorial Day, but I am Australian so I know the respect we have for ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day. Hopefully I've captured Steve's speech properly, I'm not exactly at Captain America's standard of inspirational speech-writing.
> 
> Enjoy :)

**5.**

For a Tony Stark party, the atmosphere was exceptionally calm. It wasn’t one of his regular, high-energy, “who’s who” parties. It wasn’t even a party, not really, more of a gathering of friends and family. Tony was at the head of the table, with Pepper sitting beside him. Bruce was up there with them, deep in conversation with Jane Foster, who had accompanied Thor. Abby liked Jane. She was wickedly smart, and she fit seamlessly alongside Thor. Tony’s friend, Colonel Rhodes, was seated at the middle of the table. He was talking to Maria Hill and Sam Wilson, and occasionally Natasha, Steve, and Clint would chime in with something. Bucky sat on Abby’s left, and Laura on her right. She had come up from Iowa to spend the day with her husband. It was comfortable. Everyone was happy to be there, even for an occasion as somber as Veteran’s Day.

When Clint had first told her about Tony’s plan to have a dinner for Veteran’s Day, Abby hadn’t been sure about it. Bucky hadn’t mentioned it to her. When she brought it up he was deflective, and made it very clear that he didn’t want to go. But Abby had heard Laura was coming up for the dinner, and she was definitely going to go. She was disappointed that Bucky wasn’t coming, but tried to keep it from showing. He must have seen it anyway, because a few days before the dinner, he announced that he would go with her.

Now they were seated around a dining table, and Abby was watching out of the corner of her eye, as Bucky slowly grew more uncomfortable, shifting in his seat. She reached out a hand under the table, resting it on his thigh, and his hand wrapped around hers almost at once. When Steve cleared his throat, he squeezed her hand tightly.

“I’d just like to say,” said Steve, as silence settled around the table, “thank you, Tony, for planning this, and all of you for coming. The reason we fight, the reason I fight – I know I’ve always said it’s because I don’t like bullies.”

“Hell of an understatement,” muttered Bucky. Abby bit her lip to keep herself from giggling.

“But,” continued Steve. “It’s so that everyone, not just us, can have moments like this. That wouldn’t be the case if HYDRA had succeeded. When I woke up, and heard of Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day, I thought – that’s nice. It’s a nice concept. And for the last few years I’ve spent those days remembering the people I left behind in 1945. I’m still going to do that. But now I have my best friend back and it’s just a little easier to think about everyone else.”

Bucky’s fingers were a vice around Abby’s hand.

“So I’d like to make a toast, a thank you, to the Howling Commandos. To Peggy Carter. To Abraham Erskine. To Howard Stark.”

“To Phil Coulson,” added Maria.

“To Riley,” said Sam

“To Pietro Maximoff,” mumbled Clint.

“To Yinsen.” Tony raised his glass to join the rest, nodding at Steve.

“To Captain Steve Rogers,” said Natasha firmly. Her eyes shifted to Bucky. “To Sergeant James Barnes. Thank you for your service.”

Abby hissed quietly when Bucky’s fingers tightened even more around hers. He let go immediately, whispering an apology as he lifted his glass up to join the toast. He put the glass down quickly, as soon as he’d taken a sip, but it wasn’t fast enough for Abby to miss seeing how his arm was shaking.

Finishing up with dinner, they moved from the dining room on the common floor to the lounge. Tony and Natasha made sure they all had drinks – Thor had brought his own, which he used to spike Steve’s with – and they gathered around to reminisce. Seeing Bucky had said no to another drink, Abby did so as well. She could see something was bothering him. His shoulders were tauter than Clint’s bowstring, and his jaw wasn’t much better.

“So, Cap,” commented Sam, sipping on his scotch to hide a smirk. “Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?”

Steve snorted. “You know what, Wilson?”

“What, Rogers?”

As everyone else started to laugh, Abby used that moment to pull Bucky away, out onto the balcony. She shivered in the crisp air that signaled Christmas was on its way. Bucky relaxed as the cold hit him, but only slightly. His shoulders slumped and a shudder ran through his body as he exhaled, resting his arms on the balcony railing. When Abby leaned against his side, she could still feel the tension in his body.

“What’s wrong?” she asked softly, looping her arm around his waist.

“I don’t deserve their thanks,” he murmured. “Not after what I’ve done.”

Abby bit her lip. “But you do. HYDRA forced you to do those things, Bucky. No one blames you for them.”

“Abby,” he began, voice hoarse. She cut him off.

“ _No_ , Buck. You deserve it. You’ve sacrificed so much. You sacrificed your arm. You and Steve both sacrificed your lives for this country, for this world. You do deserve it.”

Staring at his profile, in the dim light filtering out from the common floor, she was startled to see Bucky’s lip quivering. Tears began sliding down his cheeks, catching the light and glistening. Manhandling him gently, Abby turned Bucky around to face her and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Returning the action, Bucky rested his head on her shoulder and pressed his face into her neck as he cried.

“It’s okay,” she soothed, not knowing what else to say to him. “It’s okay, Buck. You’re okay.”

 

* * *

 

Returning from calling the babysitter, Laura sidled up alongside her husband and slipped an arm around his waist. He was trying to be subtle, but she couldn’t miss the strange expression on his face as he looked towards the French doors leading out onto the balcony.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

Clint glanced down at her, shrugging and looking back towards the balcony.

“Abby. She’s growing up,” he murmured.

Laura swallowed an exasperated laugh.

“Well, she wasn’t going to be a little girl forever,” she replied. “What’s finally made you realise it?”

He gestured out the doors, and Laura followed the motion with her eyes. Abby was on the balcony, her hands cupping Bucky’s face. Laura could see evidence of tears on the man’s cheeks. The pair stood with their foreheads pressed together, and Abby was talking.

“She loves him.”

“How do you know?” asked Laura.

Clint turned to her. He covered her hand, resting on his waist, with his own, and smiled sheepishly.

“Because that’s the way I look at you.”

Looking at Abby more closely, Laura had to agree.

“She’s twenty-five, Clint. I think it’s time to let her go.”

“Yeah,” sighed Clint, shaking his head. “Well, at least I know where he lives if he decides to break her heart.”

“That’s the spirit,” she muttered dryly, knowing Clint couldn’t see her as she rolled her eyes. “Focus on the positives.”

 

* * *

 

“Feeling better?” asked Abby quietly, staring up into Bucky’s red-rimmed blue eyes. He’d stopped crying, and he nodded.

“I – yeah. I didn’t – that’s – I haven’t done that in a while,” he replied, tripping over his words. She reached up to cup his face, brushing away one last tear as it slid down his cheek.

“You’re allowed to cry, Buck,” she said softly. “If I’d gone through what you have, I don’t think I’d ever stop.”

“I know. I just – want to move on, move past it.”

“I get that,” murmured Abby, sliding her arms around his neck. “But still. You know you can talk to me, if you need to? I’m here for you.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled back. “I know.”

“I –” Abby began, and cut herself off.

“What?” asked Bucky. “Tell me.”

“I – I love you, Buck,” whispered Abby.

Bucky didn’t say anything. Abby chewed nervously on her bottom lip. She’d been terrified of saying that out loud. If Bucky didn’t return her feelings, if it was too soon and she scared him off, she didn’t know what she’d do.

His hands on her waist pulled her closer to him, and Bucky smiled down at her with genuine happiness in his eyes. He closed the distance between them, kissing her tenderly. When he pulled back, Abby’s breath hitched. She almost didn’t dare getting her hopes up.

“I love you too, Abby.”

Abby blinked at him.

“Really?” she questioned, breathlessly.

“Yeah, doll. Really.”

Beaming, one of Abby’s hands cradled the back of Bucky’s head and pulled his lips back to hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next, the +1. :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint regrets everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter :) it's a little shorter, but it does what I need it to do.

**+1.**

Clint strolled into the common floor kitchen, smiling broadly, and didn’t even blink when he saw his sister sitting at the breakfast bar. Bucky, sitting beside her, nodded at him. Natasha was perched on the counter, next to the coffee machine, and she set it going as soon as she saw Clint.

“Morning,” Abby yawned, looking blearily in Clint’s direction.

“Good morning, kiddo,” replied Clint cheerily.

Picking up the full mug of coffee, he gulped down the first few mouthfuls and sighed happily. Natasha knew him too well. It was his third cup of the day, but that didn’t make it any less satisfying to drink. He finished the drink in record time and refilled it. He leaned back against the counter, turning and facing Abby and Bucky again.

“You know, coffee would help you wake up,” Clint said, sniggering at the face Abby made.

“That swill isn’t coffee,” she mumbled, rubbing at her eyes. “It tastes like burnt rubber. Dunno how you drink it”

Clint didn’t reply. All of his attention was focused on Abby’s hands, where her sleeves had fallen down her arms. She had a ring of light bruising around each of her wrists. Frowning, Clint put down his coffee cup and walked around to the other side of the breakfast bar. He grabbed one of Abby’s arms and pulled down her sleeve to look at the bruises properly. Still half-asleep, Abby just blinked at him in surprise.

“What the hell?” Clint growled, turning to Bucky. “What did you do to her? You hurt her?”

“… No?” said Bucky hesitantly.

“She’s bruised, Barnes.”

“What? Clint, no,” Abby began.

“Quiet, Abigail. I warned you.”

“But Clint –”

“I’m not going to stand by while he hurts you!”

“Uh, Clint…” ventured Natasha.

“I didn’t hurt her!” protested Bucky, over the top of Natasha.

“Those bruises didn’t come from nowhere, bastard!”

“Damn it, Clint, could you shut up and listen for two minutes?” snapped Abby. Clint’s mouth slammed shut and his jaw clenched. “Bucky didn’t hurt me.”

“Don’t lie to me, Abigail, I can see those fucking bruises.”

Groaning tiredly, Abby pinched the bridge of her nose. A blush crept across her cheeks as she ignored Natasha’s smirk.

“It’s too early for this. How can I explain this to you?” she muttered, not really talking to Clint. He frowned.

“What?”

“I – well, you see…”

Abby turned to Bucky desperately, her eyes begging him to help her.

“Well,” drawled Bucky, lips quirking mischievously. “Technically, they are fucking bruises, but I don’t think we mean it in the same way.”

“Bucky!” Abby hissed, face flushing bright red.

“… What?” repeated Clint weakly.

“Oh, come on, Clint,” said Natasha brightly, and Abby hid her face in her hands. She could tell where this was going. “Don’t tell me you’ve never experimented with restraints in the bedroom.”

“Restraints in the…”

Clint swallowed the rest of his sentence as most of the colour rushed from his face, leaving him a pale shade of green and looking decidedly queasy. He shook his head, and avoided looking at Abby and Bucky.

“Sorry,” he croaked, shaking his head. “Forget I asked.”

He fled the kitchen to the sound of Natasha’s enthusiastic laughter.

 

* * *

 

“Oh my _God_ ,” Abby whined, falling forward to rest facedown on the bench top. The polished marble was cool against her burning cheeks. “I can’t believe the two of you! I’ll never be able to look him in the face again!”

“Aw, doll, don’t be silly. He’ll get over it.”

“Of course he will,” agreed Natasha. “Besides, if you’re embarrassed about him knowing I could tell you a couple of stories. Did he ever tell you what happened when we were assigned to –?”

“No!” yelped Abby, sitting up straight. “No, I don’t want to know.”

Natasha slid off the counter, not bothering to hide her amusement as she left the kitchen. Abby pouted at Bucky, who was also laughing. He leaned over and pecked her on the lips.

“Cheer up,” he murmured. “If you’re that embarrassed, we won’t do it again. No risk of more bruises.”

Abby hesitated.

“Well…” she began. “I don’t think we need to go that far.”

He smirked at her.

“Good. Because I’d love to do that again.”

“You’re terrible,” complained Abby, still pouting. “You just traumatized my brother and you’re already trying to get into my pants again.”

Bucky shrugged.

“I’d pretend I’m sorry, but seventy years is a long time.”

“Terrible,” reiterated Abby. “Completely terrible.”

“Yeah, but you love me anyway.”

The corners of Abby’s mouth twitched. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it. My first completed chaptered fic yay! :D


End file.
